Nut cracker with slidably mounted crank lever



July 28, 1953 E. F. KENNEDY 2,646,831

NUT CRACKER WITH SLIDABLY MOUNTED CRANK LEVER Filed May 7, 1951 09602 P Kennedy mmvroa.

ATTORNEY "i The inventionrelates to nut Patented July 28, 1953 NUT CRACKER WITH SLIDABLY MOUNTED CRANK LEVER g Eugene P.'Kennedy, Tulsa, Okla. Application May '1, 1951'; s rial No. 224,969

crackers particularly adapted for cracking black walnuts which :require considerable power, and has for itsfobject to provide, in connection with the nut cracker, a slidably mounted hand lever, which lever may be extended radially for the final cracking operation, thereby increasing the amount of crushing power for the cracking operation.

A further object is to provide a crank lever in connection with a nut cracking feed screw, which crank lever may be radially extended for increasing the power for the final crushing operation, and may be shortened for the initial movement of the crushing screw.

A further object is to provide the outer end of the screw with a U-shaped yoke arching the end of the screw and to mount the crank lever slidably in said yoke and limit the crank lever inward and outward movement by stops, also to provide means comprising a contractible spring for normally urging the crank lever towards its shortened position, and particularly after it has been extended for increasing the leverage.

With the above and other objects in view the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawing, described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the nut cracker showing the crank lever extended, in dotted lines, and retracted, in full lines.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section view through the travelling jaw and the inner end of the drive screw.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the nut cracker, showing, in dotted lines, the various positions assumed by the crank lever.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral I designates a vertically disposed body member adapted to be attached to a table edge 2, as shown in Figure 3, by means of securing screws 3. The body member terminates above the table 2 in an outer jaw 4 and an inner lug 5, and through which lug 5 the drive screw 6 is threaded. The inner end of the drive screw 6 is provided with a bore I, in which bore is disposed the shaft 8 carried by a travelling jaw 9, which travelling jaw is in axial relation to the stationary jaw 4 and cooperates therewith to crush a walnut l0.

, 1 Claim. (01. 146':16)

- Walnut I0 is of the hard type,

for instance'the bla'ck' 'walnutwhich requires considerable power to crush. Travelling jaw 9 arches the bed portion 'II of the body and is guided thereon.

Secured to the jaw 4 at I2 is a spring pin I3 extending through the lower end of the travelling jaw 9 at M, and interposed between the jaw 9 and jaw 4, on the spring pin I3, is an expansion spring I5, which normally urges the travelling jaw 9 towards the drive screw 6 and maintains the interengagement of the jaw 9 with the drive screw.

The outer end of the drive screw 6 terminates in a head I6, preferably angular, and which head is disposed between the flanges ll of a U-shaped bracket H3. The U-shaped bracket 3 is secured to the head I6 by a bolt I9 extending transversely through the flanges 11 and head l6. Referring to Figure 3, it will be seen that a space 2!) is provided between the head I6 and the bracket l8, and slidably mounted, for radial movement in this space, is the radially adjustable crank arm for rotating the drive screw. It has been found, particularly when cracking black walnuts, that considerable power is necessary for the final cracking operation, and this power is not easily obtainable with a short handle, and if the handle is made long, it would be awkward and impractical to turn by a single operator for the initial walnut gripping operation, which requires several turns, and for the final cracking operation, usually requiring about a quarter of a turn. To overcome this difficulty the crank lever 2| is made radially slidable so that the handle can be extended for leverage purposes for the final cracking operation. The crank lever 2| is normally urged towards its shortened or inner position by a, contracting spring 22, one end of the spring being anchored at 23 to the outer end of the lever, and at 24 to the upper side of the head IS. The inward movement is limited by the stop lug 25 which engages the head I6. The outward movement of the lever 2| is limited by the stop lug 26 which cooperates with the head It of the drive screw.

Assuming a nut is held in position to be gripped between the jaws 9 and 4, the lever is in the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 3 and shortened. The operator can then rapidly rotate the lever 2| by grasping the handle 21, and rotating the lever 2| to the full lin position shown in Figure 3 where the nut I0 is gripped. At this point, the lever 2| is radially extended to the dotted line position shown in Figure 3, thereby materially increasing the leverage for the final cracking operation, which requires considerably less than a complete rotation of the screw. As soon as the handle 21 is released the contractible spring 22 returns the handle to its inner shortened position as shown in full lines in Figure 3.

From the above it will be seen that a nut cracker is provided with means whereby the operating lever can be radially extended for increasing the cracking-power; after" the nut hasbeen' gripped.

The invention having been set forth What is claimed as new and useful is:

The combination with a nut cracker comprising a body member, cooperating -cracker ,iaws carried by the body mem'ber,'a drive'screw threaded through a portion of the body member and moving one of said jaws towards-thelothemofaa crank lever fixed to said screw ior'commomrotational movement, a handle carried by one'end of the crank lever, said crank lever beingsl-idably mounted for radial movement across the axis of the .drivescrew, .a headearried by thezdr-ive-screw, 5a bracket :carried sbys said head and rotatable -therewith,-..said lever being.-slidably mounted 1 in said bracket and I rotatable With -.the bracket,

*EUGENE P. KENNEDY.

References Cited in the file of this patent -,UNlTED-..STATES PATENTS -Number Name Date 11). 94,567 Redlinger Feb. 12, 1935 514,567 Pratt Feb. 13, 1394 11 108320 'rMay Sept. 1, 1914 1,117,945 Fort Nov. 17, 1914 "11221,?74 Taylor Apr. 3, 1917 1,351,983 Allen Sept. 7, 1920 1-j358,1-45' '"Gll'ciden -Nov.=9,-1920 2,236,135 Good '-'=Mar.-25,'l941 2,566,945 Laze "Sept'. 4, 1951 

